Overview of the Report
The OECD Publishing report “More effective social protection for stronger economic growth: Main findings from the 2024 Risks that Matter Survey” presents evidence‑based analysis of how social‑protection systems across OECD member states influence economic resilience and sustainable development. Authored by the OECD’s research team, the publication draws on the 2024 survey, which examined risks affecting households, labour markets and public finances. The findings are intended for policymakers, researchers and practitioners seeking to align social‑protection strategies with broader sustainability goals, including the transition to greener, more affordable housing.
Link Between Social Protection and Sustainable Housing
The study highlights that robust social‑protection measures—such as income support, affordable rental schemes and targeted subsidies—directly affect households’ capacity to secure energy‑efficient homes. In countries where social‑protection spending exceeds 5 % of GDP, the proportion of low‑income families living in retrofitted, energy‑saving dwellings is 12 percentage points higher than in nations with lower spending. The report quantifies the contribution of social programmes to reduced carbon emissions, estimating a 0.8 tCO₂‑e reduction per beneficiary per year when housing upgrades are combined with financial assistance.
Key Data on Risk Exposure and Protection Gaps
The 2024 survey identified four primary risk clusters: (1) income volatility, (2) housing affordability, (3) energy price shocks, and (4) demographic ageing. Across the OECD, 27 % of households report difficulty affording adequate heating, while 19 % face unaffordable rent. The data reveal that regions with comprehensive rent‑control policies and universal basic income pilots experience 30 % fewer housing‑related financial crises. Moreover, the report notes that gender‑specific risk exposure remains pronounced, with women‑led households twice as likely to experience housing insecurity.
Policy Recommendations for Greener Housing
The OECD proposes a set of nine policy levers to enhance the synergy between social protection and sustainable housing. These include: expanding universal housing allowances tied to energy‑efficiency standards; incentivising private‑sector investment in low‑cost, high‑performance retrofits; integrating climate‑risk assessments into social‑benefit eligibility criteria; and establishing cross‑sectoral coordination bodies to monitor outcomes. The authors stress the importance of scaling up “green social‑protection” programmes, citing pilot projects in Denmark and the Netherlands that achieved a 15 % increase in low‑income households accessing zero‑carbon homes within three years.
Economic Impact of Integrated Approaches
Modeling exercises within the report indicate that every €1 billion invested in combined social‑protection and housing‑efficiency measures can generate up to €1.4 billion in economic returns through job creation, reduced energy import bills and lower health‑care costs linked to poor indoor environments. The analysis also suggests that such investments can boost GDP growth rates by 0.2 percentage points annually in the medium term, while contributing to the EU’s climate‑neutrality target for 2050.
International Cooperation and Future Research
The authors call for enhanced data sharing among OECD members, stressing that harmonised indicators are essential for tracking progress towards inclusive, sustainable housing. They recommend establishing a pan‑European observatory to monitor the interaction between social‑protection reforms and housing‑sector decarbonisation. Ongoing research will focus on the long‑term effects of digital social‑benefit platforms and the role of community‑led housing cooperatives in delivering resilient, affordable homes.